Old City Beer Garden

a place where there should be more people. the theme is beach bar. you feel in holydays at the first step. the staff is wellcoming , nice and efficient. there are a lot of games to play while drinking.

I had a good fried chicken sandwich and beer here! Friendly bartender and I enjoyed the ambience.

The sandwich was so good! The fries were amazing. Sara was the server and was really hospitable/nice. I highly recommend Old City Beer Garden.

If you’re white, you’ll have a good time and you might even get a drink. Because the two times I’ve been there as a brown woman, I’ve witnessed blatant racism. Just sat at the bar that’s not very crowded and waited for 20 minutes before I walked out. Never again, so many better (and vibier) beer gardens (IBG, Liberty) in the area.

We are in town from Minnesota for a friend's wedding the the Old City Beer Garden happened to be about a block away from our AirBnB. Our first bartender Kelsey was absolutely freaking amazing! I have literally never had service as good as she provided. When she left after her shift, JuJu was out new bartender and was pretty damn great as well! I will be in Philly again and this will be the only place I go to for some fun and some drinks. Thank you so very much Kelsey, we can't wait to hang out with you again!!!

The food was mediocre but the service was amazing! Our bartender Alyssa was extremely attentive and helpful as it was our first time there! Definitely will be going back!

Great place to meet up with friends that feels safe during COVID. Heaters make it cozy, and it feels ever warmer when the sun is out! I was a bit disappointed that as a beer garden didn't have any beers on tap when we went. But they had a decent selection of beers, with a few local options.

Genius business venture! Recycle a shipping container into a bar with closable cut-outs from which to serve beverages and stick it on a vacant lot between buildings on a busy, trendy street. Add peastone gravel to the lot and some posts around the perimeter to frame it in. Hang netting with thousands of little white lights from the posts. Lastly, have artists create cool wall murals and painted picnic tables, and voila! A super fun space to enjoy beers, beautiful days and evenings, and socializing. They also have corn hole/bag toss!

Not bad! I was wandering around Old City and noticed the "specials" sign and also loved the view of the outdoor seating size. I sat at the bar (as always) and enjoyed the large outside TVs! This was lunchtime so it wasn't busy but a good vibe/ambiance with some day drinking! There were a few choices for the taco specials but I chose the chicken. Not bad for a quick snack and a stop by visit. Bartender/manager was cool and sparked up some great conversations with myself and a few other lunch patrons around, it was chill! I'd definitely go back.

Located in a tiny single lot, this gravelstone beer garden is a delight on a sunny day. But if you're looking for draft beer don't stop here. Came in on a Monday around 3 pm with some friends after a wedding weekend. One person was working the entire bar located inside the shipping container. There are TVs for sportswatching pleasure. There was a food truck but was closed at this time. Seems family friendly as there's hopscotch, basketball hoops, and a dagger-throwing game of darts. There is no restroom available; just portapotties which give this spot a carnival feel. I snagged a can of the Blood Money which was blood orange beer with guava puree. It's an absolutely delicious IPA. Came with a bottle of water.

Beautiful concept venue, huge amount of space, two bars, small tables, large picnic tables and fire pit seating. Parts of venue are covered to keep you out of possible rain and or sun, although, almost all parts are shaded from the sun. Service at the bar is great, elsewhere, not so much. Had one staff member be a bit snarky because we weren't drinking fast enough. :/ Decent happy hour. Food is just bar food like wings and fries. I usually eat before I go. Corn hold available by fire pit. Fire pits aren't always on and won't be turned on upon request, disappointing because it's why I brought someone last time I went. All and all, 4/5 stars for not so great service outside of the bar seating area and fire pits not being put on. Tip to management: please train servers better on customer service skills.

I'm there for Taco Tuesday! It's different from other beer gardens, so don't get hung up on the name or the space. I don't drink beer much anymore but they have a few I like and the rest of the party was pleased with the options. The spicy tacos were the best! And the shoe string fries were really good. Very casual, some games, surprisingly not crowded when we went, which was dinner time and taco time.

Cheap bevs and dumb little games but they need real basketballs for their hoops not just volleyballs

okay but I don't think I've ever been to a beer garden that didn't have beer on tap. some interesting looking cans though some outdoor games and a young crowd. might come back if the weather's nice and we want to sit outside

Definitely a fun spot in the city to grab a beer and some tasty food. Easy location to get to and at night the tables are filled but doesn't feel over crowded. They have a great selection of beers and I usually aim towards Oktoberfest beers in the fall. Friends that aren't usually beer drinkers, there's something on the menu for them too. The two times I've been here I've gotten the Smokin' parm fries. They're insanely amazing and highly recommend getting them. The beef nachos, also very good and its a huge order so be ready to eat. Helps soak up the beer :) Serve isn't fast but they're friendly and pleasant and you'll have a good time here. Dogs are welcomed!

It's a pretty cool spot to go hangout at and have a drink, but isn't anything extraordinary. The food isn't expensive but also isn't great either. It's okay though, maybe in neutral or average territory. Drink selection is okay. No restrooms there and need to go inside the next door restaurant which is very dirty. Overall it's better to just go hangout there for a bit rather than think too much about getting food or drink there.

Stopped by the Olde City Beer Garden on Saturday. The weather was gorgeous and my husband and I were just kind of walking around looking for a place to grab a round outdoors. Upon arriving, it wasn't clear whether we just seat ourselves or wait to be seated. Someone else was kind of mulling around an empty table and also said they weren't sure. We ended up grabbing an empty table next to a birthday party. Eventually, a server stopped by and we asked if that was okay, and she said it was fine. So that mystery was solved! Seat yourself, I guess. We used our phones to access the menu and she took our orders. The variety in the menu was great -- I hate when a beer garden has nothing to offer but IPAs. We both enjoyed what we ended up with -- the Triple Jam Cider for me and something I can't remember for my husband. I liked the vibes - music playlist was great, the murals were fun, etc. Some tables in full sun could have used umbrellas to be more accessible to everyone (weather was nice, but sunburn is still real!). There were games around but we just kind of chatted among ourselves. I liked how there were tables at the bar to keep people in their groups and to allow social distancing between groups. Had not seen that approach before and thought it was genius. The server never came back for another round or the check, so my husband ended up closing out at the bar. Juuuust before he came back, someone showed up to ask if we were okay. Woops! Overall, I think it's a nice spot but could use a sign or something to indicate to seat yourself. Would also be nice if employees even wore the same color so it was clear who an employee is when you need to reorder or get your check. Even better, some places are doing orders over your phone (including payment) and then someone just delivers it. I'd still come back if I were in the area again (especially if a table at the bar was open!) but wouldn't go out of my way to come here so I feel like it errs on the side of 3 stars for me.

Love this bar! Located right on market street in the heart of old city so the location is very convenient. Always has a great selection of canned beer. I got the workhorse lager and my husband got vagabond IPA and we both loved ours. The service is always pretty quick too. Great for a hot summer day.

Super clean. Cheap drinks. Nice bartenders. and then i need to add more so it's that's 85 character

This place is cute, we sat outside they have several picnic tables available, tvs, basketball hoops, several games and a large bar . We tried the fries they were decent . The service was okay, kinda slow but it was a busy day .

It's okay. Converted vacant lot into a beer place run out of shipping containers. No beers on tap, everything canned or bottled. TVs at the 'bar.' Lots of picnic tables with umbrellas. Ambiance is affected by the constant homeless issues on sidewalk in front. Friendly service. Cornhole. Looks like it'd be neat looking at night.

Update! Again, had a good time. Easy to book/reserve a table and was sat really quickly. Recently because of COVID, establishments must serve food to stay open and allow for "dine-in," so after ordering a round of drinks, they told us that we're required to order food to stay. We ended up ordering some fried pickles to share, and was a great choice. It was actually really good. The batter was light, and the side ranch it comes with made this a super tasty dish to share. I definitely recommend getting it. They also have $2 hot dogs as well, which is definitely something on the cheaper end and can keep you going on the drinks.

A really great, casual spot! Great beer options & tons of seating available, it's pretty spacious and seems like it would be good for large groups or just a date night

We had a grad party here and the staff were very pleasant and helpful. 5 stars to everyone.

We stopped here on our team building journey and had a great time sitting at the picnic tables and playing corn hole!

What a cute place. It was very hot the day that we went and we just wanted to sit in the shade and have a cold drink. We had eaten at a restaurant close to this place and we just couldn't resist the signs. So cute and the place was really fun. I just wish they had had draft beer because it was a day when you just wanted to have a draft. But nice beers a nice people in a nice spot.

Nice place :) But the bathroom is a public toilet. But there was nothing wrong with us having fun.

I really wanted to like this place, I walked past it a couple times on my last trip to Philly. The decor is trendy and the vibe seemed really chill. I went in for the first time on Wednesday night. Typically crowded bar, long wait, blah blah that's normal. I noticed woman that had been waiting since before I was there walk to the side of the bar and get the bartender's attention. They ended up going to the back of the patio together. I finally got my beer and went to a table where I saw them in a verbal altercation. The bartender was yelling at this woman for some reason, I think she wanted him to turn the music down? He kept yelling about the speakers. In any case she was standing her ground, but he was getting aggressive and in her face to the point I could tell someone was going to have to intervene. Thankfully a waitress came over and separated them, and apologized for the bartender saying he was just drunk. Then they escorted the woman out. Wtf? Guy is supposed to just get away with treating someone like that, let alone being sauced on shift to the point of rage? This place is great if you like crowds, long waits and agro drunken employees.

On a Saturday night we wanted to have fun while we had couple of drinks. We stumbled upon this bar because it was close to our hotel. This is a cute bar outside. The drinks are pretty cheap! We kept buying Yeungling can for 3.50 while we playing garbage beer pong outside. There were other games and it was easy for people to socialize and stay active while drinking. They have portable potties in the back which I find the only downfall of this place.

Unbelievably bad. It's open outdoor seating and when I went it was seat yourself. I let the bartender know I was there and pointed out where I'd be seating. It was her, another girl behind the bar, and a young man at the bar who I suppose also worked there. I got to my table with my wife and we sat hopeful for a good experience at this highly rated establishment. It was not a good experience. After getting to my table my wife and I played a game on our phone together and reviewed some pictures. Before I knew it we had been sitting there for 30 minutes without any service. Not even an offer for a water. I let the bartender know I was still waiting and she laughed at me and said, "my bad". My wife and I ordered our food and before we knew it we were there for another 45 minutes with no food. At this point I was pretty upset, went back to the bartender and told her, she laughed again and said she would check on our food. She came out seconds later with our food. Cold and aged our meals were placed in front of us. The fries were room temp, the burger was undercooked and cold, and we still hadn't gotten a a refill on our drinks. I asked the bartender for a manager, she laughed at me and said that she was the manager, and asked what my problem was. I paid and left. I'll never recommend this place to anyone.

Y'all run far away from this venue. It has so much potential with the cute lights and games but all the bartenders act like they hate their lives and will blatantly ignore you even with the bar not being crowded or filled with people at all. Will take them 20 minutes to angrily hand you a can of beer with the bar being empty aside from two dudes. The red trash cans they use for beer pong had actual puke and garbage in them. Cornhole is hard to play bc of the low hanging lights. So much wasted potential here

Beer, bar food, what more could you want? The ambience is quaint, quiet, chill. Fair warning, the heaters aren't affective. We ordered the nachos to accompany the beer. There was a lot of meat, but we felt the nachos were missing key nacho ingredients, including real cheese. Given the ambience, the nachos did their job. Definitely would be back for a chill night!

Pretty horrendous bartenders. Came in at 10pm on a Friday with my gf and tried getting a drink for well over 30 minutes. Not once was I acknowledged or helped after countless times trying to get a drink patiently. Will never come back as I can take my business elsewhere. Plenty of bars and beer gardens in Philly. Do not recommend this place .

Outdoor seating, picnic tables, and games! Beer selection is massive and be warned, the nachos could feed two adults for dinner easily.

The service was atrocious.The bartender at the service section of the bar overlooked me three times to serve other patrons. When I asked another bartender for service, the told me that I needed to wait for the same bartender that didn't serve me. I understand that a group buying buckets is going to earn you more tips. However, it was totally unprofessional to ignore me and then for another bartender to not serve me when asked. Will not show my face here again. Terrible business.

First off the bar has the potential to be very fun. There are lots of cool outdoor games and the drinks are cheap. However, one of the bartenders was blacked out behind the bar and there was no management to be seen. He proceeded to curse out multiple customers calling them "faggots" and harassing everyone buying beers. Despite everyone's consistent complaints there was nothing done at the bar all night. Very frustrating and resulted in us and multiple leaving leaving.

Solid place to go out to for any occasion or day. Good selection of beers. When they have their games out, definitely an even better spot to visit. Good outdoor spot if that is what you are looking for

Had chicken nachos $5 special ..it was huge ..kind of like a liquid cheese n cut up chicken .certainly worth $5 and was large ..could of been served hotter . I would of preferred a shredded multi blend real cheese with shredded chicken.wouldnt go back for that one item .no options on beverages whatsoever except alcoholic . Pink haired waitress offered attentive friendly and pleasant service. Cool place if you live nearby good weather and like beer.

This hidden gem in Old City is one garden that hits on all cylinders! I am surprised more people haven't started to catch on to the buzz. With the beer garden as an extension of Sto's Bar, the drink and food specials are ones to rave about. Last night's specials were pitchers of beers for less than $10; and another deal with a basket of fries &wings for $8. Stopped in here with a group of friends to watch the Eagles home opener and to my surprise, the owner just installed a brand new projector for football games. In addition they have giant beer pong, cornhole, Jenga, connect four, etc. The vibe of this place is super chill and laid back for any night of the week.

Philly just does what Brooklyn does, but exponentially color and more genuine. Perhaps the Hudson River breeds pretentiousness for all I know. A small and intimate beer garden, if there ever was a thing. Very laidback, with plenty of local brews to keep you company

Really cute beer garden in the heart of Old City. Went on a Tuesday evening with a friend and there were a decent amount of people there. Atmosphere was great, with TV playing at the bar and socially distant seating. Had to order food with drinks, but they have a $2 "drinking hot dog" if you're looking to mainly drink. The IPAs here were great!

We had a blast here on Friday night watching the Sixers game. The beer selection was nice the green tea shots were good. I would unlock more than 1 portapottie when you have a good crowd drinking beer.

Stumbled upon this great little oasis in the middle of busy Old City. Bright and colorful picnic tables and umbrellas make you feel like you're on vacation! The bartenders Doreen and Monica were the best and the beers were ice cold. My dog also loved that he could come to the bar with me!

Cute outside area with great music. But, terrible service. Good luck getting a second round or your check. Surprised they don't have more walk outs.

Horrendous service. My friends and I were there on Memorial Day and were visited by our waitress probably 4 times from 6pm-11pm. We were there for a sixers game so we expected the service to be a little slow anyways. Towards the end of the night, we could see our server taking multiple rounds of shots with another crowd. She ended up being so drunk at the end of the night that she couldn't remember to get our check, so she had to write it down or else she would forget. I wish I was lying. The game ended around 10 and it took us until 11 to finally get the check from her. We ended up just putting cash on the table because we couldn't wait another half hour to get our cards back. I typically never have a bad experience here, but this one had to be mentioned.

This place is so awesome! It would be more awesome if they had actual bathroom and not a Porta Potti but its a beer garden so I shouldn't complain. This place is at a really random spot but I think that makes it more unique. I love all the games they have here and the drinks are super cheap! The workers here are all friendly and the bartender recommended a watermelon beer that was really delicious and it was perfect for summer!

Very cool atmosphere in a great part of Philly! Great vibe with good music. Was really glad they had heat lamps at each table you could turn on it you want, because even though it was 70 something degrees and I didn't think I'd need a heat lamp, I for sure did! The food was subpar. We ordered the smoked brisket nachos and it came out cold. Not sure if it was meant to be cold or not, but either way it wasn't good cold. Also got the Buffalo wings and they were amazing! Best Buffalo sauce I've had in awhile. They didn't have much beer selection. I thought there would be a lot more considering it's a "beer garden", so was disappointed they only had a small handful to choose from, but the selection they did have was really good. Lastly, the staff wasn't super friendly. Our waitress seemed kind of annoyed with us for no particular reason, and we went 20 minutes without seeing her, but eventually a different waitress came up to us to see if we needed anything. Overall it was a fun experience and I would go back solely for the ambiance of the place.

This is my first review so I'm not rlly sure how to give something 0 stars but I would if I could. I went to Old City Beer Garden with a pretty large group (9 people), excited to have a good night. We were seated promptly, which was nice. Then things took a turn. Our waitress asked to see all of our IDs, and of course, we all handed them to her. However, instead of looking at or scanning any of the IDs, she placed them on the table, said "I'm not accepting any of these." And promptly walked away. We asked to speak to our waitress to understand better what had just happened, but after 10 minutes without her coming back to the table to explain, we left and brought our business to INDEPENDENCE BEER GARDEN, and it was awesome!! Long story short- IF YOURE LOOKING FOR A BEER GARDEN IN PHILADELPHIA, DO NOT GO HERE. IT SUCKS. GO TO INDEPENDENCE BEER GARDEN, 5 MINUTES AWAY WITH MUCH MORE FRIENDLY STAFF AND A BETTER ATMOSPHERE

What a delightful little venue to stumble upon whilst strolling through old city! After date night at a near by steakhouse we were happy to find a more chill, laid back atmosphere here. And much cheaper, at $5 for margaritas and big cans of beer. It is a smaller scale than other beer gardens in the city, but for that reason it is more intimate and relaxed. Everyone appeared to be having a good time, playing various games of throwing things into trash cans and whatnot. Seating is plentiful and we did not have an issue on a Saturday night. There's also fun art/graffiti to check out while you're pounding back $5 beers. It's not fancy, but it's chill and cool!

A group of friends and I were in the area yesterday and wanted to do something outside. Found this place by a quick google search, and I'm happy we did! It was a great "hidden in plain sight" gem. We got there around 230 and stayed until about 7. When we got there we we're the only people there. They had great throwback music, beer basketball and corn hole. There's a bunch of chairs lined up for seating and a nice picnic table set up. The bartenders were really friendly and they had great specials! The place fills up quick but it doesn't get overcrowded. Overall, I really enjoyed my time here and the vibe I will definitely come back here again.

Cool venue, pretty good beer selection, but our server was rude and confused with orders.

I haven't been to that many beer gardens to have a base to compare but this spot certainly seemed unique. It is literally a lot one storefront by one city block large covered in woodchips and surrounded by a fence. On a Saturday night, there was no cover nor a bouncer checking IDs to enter. There were tons of tables, corn hole sets, and a soccer pong game. The small bar had lots of local beer options, and I personally appreciated that they had 3 different types of cider. The end towards market Street was louder and busier but the back end was fairly quiet with the surrounding houses. I would absolutely go back and recommend it to anyone looking for a beer garden, whether it's their first or tenth.

Tons of beer options, great out door bar with a super relaxed atmosphere. Can even play a game of cornhole!

Was in the area and stopped by for a few drinks, and very glad we did. Nice atmosphere, good selection of beers, and friendly staff. Guy running it is a Pitt graduate, and gave me a free shot since I go to Pitt. Highly recommend

I'm really happen they were open during covid times! It seems to be the only place open after 11 (until midnight). The service was great & fast once we got a table, and every one day was perfectly social-distanced I'd definitely visit again!

It's a beer garden. They don't have a menu on the wall (that would be visible from standing behind people sitting at the bar, not sure if there are paper menus on the bar), so it's hard to know what they have unless you're sitting at the bar, right up in between two people sitting at the bar, or see the cheap domestic cans lying around. They have a bunch of cans, but no drafts. Saw a bunch of empty Victory Summer Love and Yuengling cans lying around. Met some really cool people on the 4th of July. The graffiti's cool. I'd go during a not busy time, so you could sit and be able to see what they have.

Great outdoor spot. Canned beers and hard A only. Great atmosphere. Bartender Nikki is the bomb! Come here if you want to have fun!